Photochromic properties of spirooxazine dyes in ormocer gels and coatings

Abstract

The wet- and "cold"-chemical characteristic of sol-gel process makes the sol-gel derived materials offer exciting potentials as hosts for photochromic dyes. In the present work, using mixed organically modified silicon alkoxides as starting compounds a novel ORMOCER material has been prepared via the sol-gel process as a host for spirooxazines. The photochromic properties of the dyes in the ORMOCER gel and coating are compared with those in ethanol. The experimental results show that both the photochromic performance and the thermal stability of the dyes are apparently improved in the ORMOCER matrix, while the temperature dependence of the photochromic intensity at higher temperatures need further improvement.